DaVita Inc., a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure, is honored to receive the eHealthcare Leadership Award for the best overall internet site in the Consumer/Disease-Focused category. DaVita.com was one of 1,100 entries submitted to the ninth annual eHealthcare Leadership Awards. The program recognizes websites in the healthcare industry such as health plans, healthcare associates, online health companies, pharmaceutical companies and other healthcare organizations.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020729/DAVITALOGO)

The category of Best Overall Internet Site contained 17 classifications, or sub-categories. Many factors were considered during the judging process such as delivery of strong health content, interactivity, medical care support, integration with the organization's operations, as well as strength of web design and ease of navigation.

Jason Walker, Director of DaVita.com says, "We are experiencing record levels of traffic on our site as we continue to expand our product and content offerings. This award is a wonderful way to cap off a banner year."

DaVita.com is the premier online source for kidney disease and dialysis information providing educational articles and videos about chronic kidney disease, dialysis, diet and nutrition. DaVita.com also features more than 500 kidney-friendly recipes and tools like DaVita Diet Helper, an online interactive meal planner for kidney patients, to learn about the disease and optimize their lives with chronic kidney disease and on dialysis.

Recently, DaVita.com added a physician website offering kidney specialists, primary care physicians and other specialist resources such as: patient educational handouts, coding and billing information, links to DaVita® services, medical and clinical news relevant to their practices, and information on medical conferences.

DaVita is a registered trademark of DaVita Inc. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

About DaVita Inc.

DaVita Inc., a FORTUNE 500® company, is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, providing dialysis services and education for patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita manages more than 1,400 outpatient facilities and acute units in more than 700 hospitals located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving approximately 110,000 patients. As part of DaVita's commitment to building a healthy, caring community, DaVita develops, participates in and donates to numerous programs dedicated to transforming communities and creating positive, sustainable change for children, families and our environment. For more information about DaVita, its kidney education materials, and its community programs, please visit http://www.davita.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: LeAnne.Zumwalt@davita.com

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SOURCE: DaVita Inc.